Libya’s rogue general Haftar escapes suicide attack: Reports

A rogue general, whose repeated deadly assaults on jihadists in Libya's second city Benghazi have earned him threats of reprisal, escaped a suicide bombing Wednesday, one of his commanders said.

But three loyalists of the former general and longtime US exile Khalifa Haftar were killed in the attack on a villa outside the eastern city, the commander told AFP.

Benghazi was the cradle of the NATO-backed revolt that toppled former dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011 but has increasingly become a base for Islamist groups like Ansar al-Sharia that are accused by Washington of involvement in a deadly assault on the US consulate in 2012.

"A suicide bomber in a vehicle packed with explosives attacked a villa where we had gathered," said General Sagr al-Jerushi, who heads the air wing Haftar has deployed in his attacks on the jihadists.

"Three of our soldiers were killed," Jerushi said, adding he himself had been "lightly wounded".

It is the first attack against Haftar since he launched his offensive, dubbed "Operation Dignity," aimed at eradicating "terrorists" in Benghazi on 16 May.

Ansar al-Sharia has been blacklisted by Washington for being a "terrorist organisation" and has been blamed by the West for its alleged role in the 2012 attack on the US consulate. It has borne the brunt of Haftar’s offensive, and has seen its bases targeted and bombed, prompting the group to threaten a string of reprisals.

It warned Haftar he could suffer the same fate as Gaddafi who was killed by rebels in October 2011.

Al-Qaeda too has threatened the former general. Its North Africa affiliate - al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - labelled him an "enemy of Islam" on Sunday and urged Libyans to fight him.

Haftar spokesman Mohamed Hejazi on Wednesday blamed these groups for the attack, although none have as yet claimed responsibility.

"We hold the terrorists responsible for this attack - this sort of suicide bombing is, of course, the work of terrorists and extremists," Hejazi said.